Reduced dose intensity of docetaxel plus capecitabine as second-line palliative chemotherapy in patients with metastatic gastric cancer: a phase II study

Abstract

Background: A phase II study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a combination regimen of a reduced dose intensity of docetaxel (Taxotere) plus capecitabine in pretreated patients with metastatic gastric cancer. Patients and methods: Twenty-eight patients with documented progression on or within 3 months of a cisplatin-based chemotherapy were enrolled between April 2004 and November 2006. Docetaxel (60 mg/m ² on day 1) plus capecitabine (1000 mg/m ² twice daily on days 1–14) were given every 3 weeks. Results: All patients were assessable for safety and 25 (89%) for tumor response. Median age was 63 years, and median follow-up was 13.3 months. Overall response rate was 29% (95% confidence interval 11% to 46%), while an additional 36% had stable disease. The median time to progression and median overall survival was 4 and 6 months, respectively. The most common clinical adverse events (all grades) were neutropenia (78%), hand foot symdrome (HFS) (53%), fatigue and alopecia (50%) and diarrhea (43%). However, with the exception of grade 3–4 neutropenia, which was seen in 36% of patients, other severe adverse events were rare. There were no treatment-related deaths. Treatment delays or dose reductions were necessary in 18 out of 104 cycles. Conclusions : A reduced dose intensity of docetaxel plus capecitabine is a valuable regimen for second-line treatment in this setting of patients. This approach warrants further investigation as a promising chemotherapy option for chemonaive patients with metastatic gastric cancer.